Wairarapa College band Dragonfly performs at last year’s Rockquest. PHOTO/SUPPLIED
The region’s young rockstars have the chance to record their songs professionally on Matariki weekend, free of charge.
Teacher and band manager of Wairarapa College’s Dragonfly Hansel Wiramanaden, pictured, said the opportunity could set bands up with recordings for this year’s Smokefree Rockquest competition – or simply to share with their fans.
“It’s providing a recording and video session for any youth band doing anything original locally,” Wiramanaden said.
He expected each band to have one or two songs ready to record and hoped that at least four bands would get involved in the session at Waicol.
Funding to cover the costs for the weekend came from the Carterton and South Wairarapa Creative Communities Schemes.
Wiramanaden said the original purpose of the funding was to put on shows.
However, with covid-19 getting in the way of events, part of the funding would be repurposed to pay for a sound engineer’s time.
Bands could walk away from the weekend with a high-quality demo or fully mixed song.
“We’ll set up in the band room, put all the microphones in, shield the drums off, record the amplifiers in there or in another room, and then set up a vocal booth as well.
“It’s a bit of fun, too, because it gives the bands an opportunity to have a trial of a recording studio – or as close to it as we can get to it.”
Wiramanaden said the outcome of the session would be much better than the students’ usual method of recording.
“The recording they submit to Rockquest is usually putting a phone in a music room and playing their songs, then submitting the video – not brilliant.”
Depending on interest, recording sessions would run on the afternoon of Saturday, June 25, with the option to extend into Sunday.
If an overwhelming number of bands signed up, Wiramanaden said there was an option to stage another session, which could take place in the school holidays.
The holiday session could double as a Rockquest recording session, with those who placed first or second in the regional final were then required to make a video submission to get into the national finals.
Wairarapa Rockquest heats and finals would be held as one combined session at the Carterton Events Centre on July 1.
There were 14 bands or solo artists on the line-up, including previous Rockquest winners Meg Hunter and Dragonfly.
- Bands could register their interest for the recording opportunity by messaging the Dragonfly Facebook page.
